Sound-reproducing instrument.



B. B. SMITH.

SOUND REPRODUGING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1911.

Patented May 6, 1913.

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' B. B. SMITH.

SOUND REPRODUGING INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1911. 1 1,060,955, Patented May 6, 1913.

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BEN B. SMITH, OF OHIGAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SMITH BEPEATOSTOP COMPANY,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION. j.

' SOUNDrREPBODUCING INSTRUMENT.

incense.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed June 5, 1911. Serial No. 631,347.

Patented May a, rate.

braking attachments for sound-reproducing instruments, such as gramophones and instruments of.like character, and is'designed for the purpose of enabling a sound-reproducing record to be placed upon such instrument and played through, whereupon, according to prearrangement of the device, the sound-.

reproducing means, or sound-box Will be replaced in position for repeating its travel over such record; or, if the device is otherwise arranged, the apparatus will be Stopped at the end of its performance.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter. I

The device comprises, in general terms, a

shelf-like member which extends over the,

surface of the sound -reproducing record (hereinafter called the record-disk), immediately below the path of travel of the said sound-box, and means operating at the. end of a performance of one of such recorddisks, for inclining said" shelf; whereby said sound-box is caused, to slide (or roll, being provided with a wheel for such purpose) over the surface of such shelf and assume the correct position for a repetition of its travel over the record-disk. In such position, according to a prearranged setting of the device, the parts may be arrested, and

maintained; or said shelf may again assume its original horizontal position and allow the sound-box to repeat its travel over the record-disk; and theinstrument thereby-to repeat the performance of the selection engraved upon such disk.

A device embodying panying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view-illustrating the device in combination'with a sound-reproducing instrument of well known form and known as a gramophone. Fig. :2 is a similar view in enlarged detail of a portion of the swinging shelf constituting a part of the device. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the: I

- the parts being connected bv'. means of reline 3 .of Fig. 2. Fig, 4a is a vertical section line 9 of Fig. 1.' Fig. 10 is a verticalsection the' principles of the present invention is illustrated in the accom- Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8is a verticalsection on the 'line 8 of Flg. 1. Fig. 9 is a vertical section on the on the line 10 of Fig. 1. Fig. 11 is a vertical section on the line 11 of Fig. 8.

- As shown in said drawlngs, the gramophone comprises a box or housing 12, ordinarily made of wood, including a top, or

cover portion 15, in which box or housing is arranged the driving mechanism for r0 tating the sound-reproducing disk, or record-disk. Above thecover 15' is arrangeda horizontal, circular, rotating table 16 which is fixed toa vertical shaft or spindle 1'1 passing through said cover. Upon such rotating table is placed the record-disk 18, which latter is thereupon rotated, in the operation of the device, by its frictional engagement with said rotatin'gtable. A long, hollow, horizontal arm 20, hinged upon abracket member'21 attached to the side of the gramophone housing, carries atits free end a hinged and .curved hollow arm 19 Support- 7 ing the sound reproducing device, or soundbox 22; the latter carrying a needle, or stylus 23 which engages a spiral groove in the surface of said record-disk 18. These parts are shown in the form which they assume in a well known form of gramophone apparatus, and, except as'hereinafter speci fied, their particular construction constitutes no part of the present invention.

Above the table 16, and normally lying parallel therewith, isarranged a flat, shelflike member. 25, which takes somewhat the form, as seen in top plan view, of a letter V; being arranged with its closed end over the center of the table 16', and its. opposite ends extending beyond the circumference of they same. The latter are hinged to the ends of .a' horseshoe-shaped member or bracket 26, secured to the said cover portion 15 of the gramophone box, and likewise extending beyond the circumference of said rotating table and upturned at its. ends in order to meet the ends of said shelf 25. The said shelf 25, and the bracket member 26, are conveniently-made of sheetmetal, and their related endstake the form oii hingeleaves,

section on the line 5 of F ig.4. Fig. 6 is an bracket 26 is conveniently secured to the cover 15 by .means of screws 31, passing through slots (indicated by the dotted lines) in said bracket, whereby, after temporarily detaching the table 16 from its spindle, the

bracket may be accurately located upon the cover 15 for the shelf 25 to assume its correct position with respect to such spindle.

To theupper end of the shaft 17 is fixed an externally threaded stud or screw 32, as

here shown designed to replace the shorter unthreaded stud ordinarily placed in the center of the rotating table of the type of gramophone here illustrated, said screw being made hollow at its lower end and internally threaded for engagement with the reduced and correspondingly threaded upper end of the shaft 17. It is desirable that the screw 32, instead of having threads of or- 20 dinary form, be made with threads having somewhat the form, in cross-section, of upwardly-fac1ng saw-teeth, as shown, 1n order to secure more eifective engagement therewith of another part of the device, hereinafter described.

The screw 32 extends through an opening in the shelf 25, and is somewhat enlarged in diameter at its lower endto provide a shoulder 33 upon which the inner end of said shelf rests. In the normal operation of the gramophone apparatusthe shelf 25 occupies a horizontal position as shown in the full lines in Fig. 4, and the sound-box 22, in its travel over the record-disk, remains a small 35 distance above said shelf, and free from engagement therewith. When said sound-box has reached the end of its travel over the record-disk, parts carried by said shelf are designed to engage with the screw 32, and, by the rotation of the latter, to raise said shelf into its inclined position, as shown by .the dotted lines in Fig.4; whereupon the latter engages with a small wheel 36, mounted in a forked bracket member 37 attached to said sound-box, and said sound-box .is

.lifted from therecord-disk, and travels down the inclined surface of the shelf to its initial position at the circumference of the disk. According to alprearranged setting of the 5G device, the parts may either remain in this" position, with the shelf 25 raised, the soundbox out of engagement with the record-disk,

and the rotating-table free to revolve until its driving spring 5 has unwound; or the braking device comprising a part of the present invention may engage with said rotating table and arrest its rotation; or the shelf 25 may he again lowered, the sound-box replaced in engagement with the record-disk,

and the apparatus allowed to repeat its performance.

The means whereby the shelf 25 is brought into engagement with the screw 32 in order that the rotation of the latter may raise the Y inner end of said shelf comprises a small n block'40 (Figs. 1, 4, 8 and 11) which is recessed along its sides (Fig. 11) to engage with and slide in a radial slot in said shelf whereby said block may be slid toward, or from the screw 32; said block having its inner end formed in the shape of a thin, concavely curved edge, or thread 41, (Fig. 8) adapted to engage with the threads of said screw when the parts are brought together. A vertical pin or stud 42 aflixed to said block engages with a slotted lever 43, pivoted upon the surface of said shelf and attached to and controlled by a long arm 44 for swinging said lever about its point of attachment to the shelf 25 and bringing said block 40 into, or out of engagement with the screw 32. Said arm 44 is attached to the armature 45 of 'a pair of electromagnets 46, and means are provided for energizing the latter as follows: A thin piece of wire or contact point 50, is secured to the sound-box and adapted for contact with an adjustable contact point 52 extending laterally from the shelf 25,; these parts being suitably con-.

tion has been reached, the sound-box com- "mences to travel backward upon the-inclinedsurface of said shelf and toward its outer.

end. It is evident that almost immediately upon the commencement by said sound-box of such journey, the contact points 5-0 and '52 will be separated, but upon the raising of the sound-box as above stated, contact is also made and the electrical circuit is completed through the wheel 36 and the shelf 25, whereby the magnets remain energized and the shelf continues to rise until said sound-box has traveled substantially'to the limit of its outward travel; whereupon the wheel 36 passes upon an insulated portion 55 (Fig. 2) of the shelf, and the circuit is broken. A

light spring 56, engaging with a pin 57 upon the arm .44, then acts to move the same away from the magnets whereby theblock '40 is released from its engagement with the ro-' tating screw 32, and, if it is desired to repeat the record, thev shelf 25 is allowed to descend to its original position. Such descent is partially arrested by means of an air cylinder 60 placed below the shelf and provided with a piston 61, a piston rod 62 upon which the shelf 25 may rest, and a small hole 63 to allow the air to esca e slowly upon the downward movement 0 said piston, whereby I the free fall of the shelf 25 is-restrained.. A coilspring 64 within the cylinder acts to again raise the piston when the shelf 25 is again raised to its inclined position, suitable holes 65,- in the upper cylinder head, allowing the air to escapefrom above the piston. The contact point 50 is made thin and flexible in order that it may bend slight-1y, after meeting the contact point 52, and allow the needle 23 to travel a small distance farther along its spiral groove before the rising shelf can lift it from the record-disk. Preferably it may be made in the form of a coil spring, being wound one or more times about the needle-supporting portion 66'(Fig. 10) of the sound box.

In order to arrest the outward movement of the sound-box 22 upon the shelf 25, a fixed and a movable stop, 70 and 71 respectively, are. provided. The former is provided upon its inner face with a fiat leaf surface ofthe record, which likewise acts to restrain said sound-box from being pushed inwardly by the spring 72; but upon the continued rotation of the record-disk, and

the continued pressure of the spring, the sound-box is moved, relatively to the'recorddisk, in a spiral direction upon the surface of the latter until the needle 23 reaches the first sound-reproducing groove upon the record-disk; whereupon it is further guided inwardly in the usual manner.

The stop 70 is designed to arrestthe outward travel of the sound-box 22 at the extreme outer ed e of the rotating table when- 00* maint ain frictional engagement between the ever a record'- sk of the largest diameter is ,used upon the latter;'b utif asmaller' disk is used,the moyable stop 71 is placed inpo'si tion to arrest such travel at a correspondingly shorter radial distance. For such purpose the stop 71 is similarly-providedwith a spring 73, and is provided at one end with a cylindricallyenlarged portion in the form of a hub 75 through which passes a vertical shaft, or pin 76, extending through and engaging in an opening through the shelf. A- flange or collar 78, upon the lower end of said pin, anda spring- 79, act to hub portion 75 and the surface of the shelf, and a short. pin extending downward from said stop into a circumferential slot 81 confines the movement of said stop to .an

angle of substantially whereby it may be swung into its operative position as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, or into the position indicated by the dotted lines and outof the line of travel 'of said sound-box.-

' In order that the distance of travel of the sound-reproducing needle 23 inward over the surface of the record-disk may be varied according to the area covered by the indented portion -of said record-disk; which varies with productions of different lengths since the latter are ordinarily engraved upon the disk from the outer edge of the same inward; means are provided for moving the contact point 52 in a radial direction over the rotating table. For this purpose the said contact point projects late-rally from a long slotted strip of metal 90. which latter is slidably mounted upon the urface of the shelf 25 by means of screws 91, 91 extending through its slot and into the said shelf. One of its edges is provided with rack teeth 92, which aengage, through the medium of an idler pinion 93, with a small pinion 94 upon a vertical shaft 95 journaled in said shelf. The upper part of said shaft is enlarged into the form of a dial plate 96 and a knurled handle 97 similar to the dial and the handle of a safe, "whereby, through the rotation of said hand wheel, the rack may be operated to move the contact point 52 radially over the surface of the recorddisk.

The dial issuitably graduated and num bered so that when its correct position has once been determined for any particular record, a corresponding number may be marked upon the latter, and thereafter, by

the operation of said dial, the contact point 52 may again be placed in its correct position with respect to the width of engraving upon the record-disk.-

Referring now to the electrical circuits by means of which the magnetst6 are ener- -gized and the above described operation of the parts is effected, 100 indicates a source of electrical energy such as a dry cell or battery of ordinary form, which may be conveniently placed in the gramophone housing as shown. From said battery a wire thence, by meansof a wire 102, the current is grounded upon the shelf 25. The opposite pole ofthe battery is connected through a wire-103 to one of the bolts 104- attaching the arm-supportingbracket 21 to the side of the gra'mophone housing. All of said wires are I here shown as diagrammatical only. Inasmuch as thegramophone housing" is ordinarily constructed of Wood,

the re-producing needle 23 rests "upon arecord-disk made of insulatingmaterial, and the sound-box '22'is entirely out of contact with the shelf 25 when the latter is in its horizontal position, the electrical circuit .101 leads to the electromagnets 46, 1 and C will remain open until the contacts 50 and 52 are brought together as above described.

It is evident, however, that if the gramophone housing should be constructed of a conducting material, the bracket 21 may be insulated therefrom, or the circuits otherwise arranged without departing from the spirit of the present invention. To prevent the circuit from being completed .throu h the sound-box 22 and one of the springs %2 or 73, after the sound-box has passed upon the insulated portion 55 of the shelf '25, the spring 72 is insulated from the stop 7 O by a strip of insulation 106; and for the same purpose, the movable stop 71 as here'shown is made of insulating material.

In order that the operation of the gramophone may be arrested if desired at the end of the performance of a certain selection,

and without allowing a repetition of the same, means are provided as follows for support-ing the shelf 25' in its inclined position after it has been raised to such position in the manner above described; and thereafter either allowing the table 16 to continue its rotation until the driving spring has been entirely unwound, or braking the same, and thereby arresting "its rotation. For this purpose there is arranged beneath one of the hinged ends of the shelf 25 a toggle device comprising a short upright lever 110, hinged at its lower end to avertical flange 111 rising from the plate 26, and free to move in a vertical plane toward and from the adjacent cylindric surface of the rotating table 16, being yieldingly drawn away from such table by a coil spring 112 attached to its upper end. To the upper part of said lever 110 is pivoted the lower portion of a somewhat T-shaped melrber 113. The latter is flattened at its upper por tion 114 (Figs. 4 and 6.) and a light coil spring 115 wound about its point of attachment to the-lever 110 tendsto move said member 114 outward, or away from the circumference of .the rotating table. When these parts are 'released from their engagementwith the locking device hereinafter described, such outward movement of the member 114 is prevented, when the shelf 25 is down orin its horizontal posit-ion, by the engagement of said flat surface 114 with the under surface of the shelf (Fig. 4); but

when the latter is raised, the spring 115 acts to move said member backward, as shown in Fig. 6, and thereafter upon the descent of such shelf after its release from engagement with the screw 32 itwill fall upon the upraised inner arm of said T-shaped member 113, and its weight will act to force the inclined lever 110 toward the rotating table.

.The latter is provided at its upper part with a suitable brake-shoe 116, which'thereupon engages the cylindric surface of the rotaming table and arrests the motion of the same. In such. position of the parts, the shelf will be permanently supported in its inclined position as shown in Fig. 6, and the re-producing needle will remaln out of contact with the record disk. The spring 115 is relatively weaker than the spring 112, in order that when the member 113 is restrained from backward movement, either tion of the pivoted lever 110 in order that it may support the shelf 25, through the medium of the member 113, without forcing said lever into engagement with the rotating table. These comprise a slotted bolt 120 adapted to engage with a pin 121 upon said lever 110 and extending through an opening in the upturned portion 122 of the outer end of the bracket 26. Such outer end of the bolt is threaded and provided with a thumb screw 123, whereby said bolt may be drawn outward, against the influence of a spring 124, and its slotted end engaged with the pin 121 to prevent the brake-shoe 116 from being forced into engagement with the rotating table.

The locking means, above referred to, for throwing the shelf-supporting and braking devices, or the parts 110 and 113, out of operation, comprise a bell-crank lever 130, having a short horizontal arm 131,, and likewise pivoted to the flange 111. Said short arm 131 is adapted to engage with the under surface 132 of the outer arm of the T-shaped 'member 113, as shown .in Fig. 4, whereby said member 113 is prevented from turning under .the influence of the spring 116, and will remain in the position shown when the restraining weight of the shelf 25 is removed from its upper surface 114. Said member is released from its engagement with the arm 131 by moving the lever 130 into its inclined position and thereby depressing its short arm, as shown in Fig. 6; and a spring detent 140, adapted to engage with either of two radial notches 141, 141, in the hub portion of said bell-crank lever, acts to yleldingly maintain said lever in one or the other of its positions, as shown.

I A stop or rest 150 limits the angle of movement of the shelf 25 to 'a little more than 90 and provides a .rest for the same when it is raised past its vertical position as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 4; whereby said shelf may be rested against said stop for the purpose of removing and repllacing record disks upon the rotating ta e. v i I lection shall be played through and'shallthen be repeated, the locking lever 130 is placed in its vertical position and the instrument placed in operation' Whereupon the sound-box will travel toward the center of the record-disk until the contacts 50 and 52 come together, the shelf will rise, the sound-- upon the shelf 25, after rising as above "stated, will descend upon the upturned arm of the member 113 and brake the rotating table as above described. If it is desired that the performance of the instrument shall be arrested, but that the table shall be allowed to rotate until its driving spring has unwound, the thumb screw 123 1s turned to draw the bolt 120 outward, whereby the braking lever 110 is restrained from engaging with the rotating table.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the device is more especially adapted'for use in connection with the type of gramophone having a horizontal record disk above which is arranged a swinging horizontal hollow arm with a sound-box hin' ed to its inner end and, in the operation 0 the instrument, rest-ing with substantially its entire weight upon the recorddisk. Such an instrument "is known in the;mark et as a Victor gramophone andsu'ch term herein used will be' understood as describing an instrument of substantially the form and construction 'here illustrated. The improved device hereinbefore described may be readily attached to a Victor gramophone with practically no alteration of the latter whatever, it being necessary merely to unscrew a small stud ordinarily fitted upon the threaded upper end of the spindle 17 and substitute the screw 32, secure the base plate 26 to the wooden top of the gramop'hone housing, place the battery therein and make afew simple-wir ing connections. The device may be as readlly detached from the gramophone instrument, if desired, by withdrawing the hinge bolts 30, 30 and disconnecting the wire. mg from the battery to the electromag lea .ducingrecord, of a repeating nets 46'; and the bracket member'26 may also be detached by withdrawing the screws which secure it to the cover 15 of the gramophone housing, and the screw 32 detached from the spindle 17 and replaced by the stud which ordinarily takes its place, leaving vno parts exposed to view, and no marks upon the instrument to detract from its appearance.

I am aware of the factthat sound-reproducing instruments have heretofore been constructed in such a manner that they may bemade. to automatically repeat a selection after having played it through one or more times, but do not believe that a device has ever before been constructed which may be attached to a gramophone of the general type hereinbefore described with substantially no alteration of the latter; and which is adapted for ready disengagement from the instrument with, substantially no attaching parts left athxed thereto to detract from the appearances of the instrument; and which moreovef may be entirely detached from the instrument without leaving any traces whatever which are exposed'to view. I -claim as my invention: 1. The combination with a sound reproducing instrument ofithe gramophone type,

of a repeating device adaptedfor attachment to such instrument without substantial alteration of the latter and comprising a horizontal shelf and means for inclining it,

and a braking device actuated by theweight of said shelf. I I

2. The combination with a sound-reproducing instrumentincluding a sound box, a sound-reproducing record and means for rotating the same, of a repeating attachment comprising a shelf arranged below the path.

of travel of said sound-box, a screw engaging with said record-rotating means and rotated thereby, a member'car-ried by said with said screw, and

shelf for engagin means controlled y the travel of said sound-bog; over the sound-reproducing record for bringing said member and said screw into engagement and inclining said shelf.

3. The combination with a sound-reproducing instrument including a sound-reproand braking attachment therefor, comprising a shelf arranged over thesurface of'the sound-reproducingv record, means for inclinmg said reproducing instrument. 4. The combination wlth a sound-reprotatingth-same, of a repeating attachment comprising a shelf arranged below the path of travel ofsaid sound box, a part fixed to V shelf, andabraking device arranged beneathfsaid shelf and actuated by the weight of the latter to arrestv the operation of the soundsuch record-rotating means and rotated thereby, another part carried by said shelf for engaging with said first part, means controlled by the travel of said sound box over the sound-reproducing record for bringing said parts into engagement and inclining said shelf, and means for supporting said shelf in its inclined position.

5. The combination with a sound-reproducing instrument including a sound box, a sound-reproducing record and means for rotating the same, of a shelf arranged below the path of travel of said sound box, a part fixed to the center of said record rotating ducing instrument including a rotating sound-reproducing record, means for supporting and rotating the same, and a soundbox traveling over and engaging with its surface, of a vertical screw engaging with and rotated by said means, a normally horizontal shelf extending over the surface of said sound-reproducing record, a sliding block carried by said shelf and adapted to engage with said screw, means engaging with said block to move the same toward said screw, an electro-magnet likewise carried by said shelf and adapted to operate said last mentioned means, and contact points carried by said sound-box and said shelf for completing the circuit through said electro-magnet, one of such contact points being adjustable for varying the place of contact between them with reference to the position of said sound-box over the soundreproducing record.

7. The combination with a sound-reproducing instrument including a rotating sound-reproducing record, means for supporting and. rotating the same, and a sound- 7 box traveling over and engaging with its surface, of a normally horizontal shelf arranged over the surface of said sound-reproducing'record, means for raising the same into an inclined position, a braking means 'operating to support said shelf in such inclined position and actuated by the weight thereof to arrest the operation of said instrument, and means for restraining such braking means from engagement with the instrument.

8; The combination with a sound-repro-v ducin instrument includin a travelin g e sound-box, of a detachablerepeating and carried by the sound-box, and means for varying the place of contact between said contact points with reference to the surface of said sound-reproducing record.

9. The combination with a so und-reproducing instrument including a sound box, a

sound-reproducing record and means for rotating the same, of a shelf arranged below the path of travel of said sound box, a screw engaging with said record-rotating means and rotated thereby, a member carried by said shelf for engagement with said screw, and electromagnetic means controlled by the travel of said sound box over the soundreproducing record for bringing said member and said screw into engagement and inclining said shelf.

10. The combination with a sound-reproducing instrument including a sound box, a sound-reproducing record and means for rotating the same, of a shelfarranged below the path .of travel of said sound box, a part fixed to said record-rotating means and rotated thereby, another part carried by said shelf for engagement with said first part, electromagnetic means controlled by the travel of said sound box over the soundreproducing record for bringing said parts into engagement and inclining said shelf, and contact points through which the circuit is closed, one of such contact points being carried by the sound boxand one of such contact points being adjust-able with respect to the path of travel of said sound box.

11. The combination with a sound-reproducing instrument including a sound box a sourid-repr0ducing record and means for rotating the same, of a shelf arranged below the path of travel of said sound box, apart fixed to the said record rotating means and rotated thereby, another partcarried bysaid shelf for engagement with said first part, and means controlled by the travel of said sound box over the sound-reproducing record for bringing such parts together and in clining said shelf...

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses this""first day of June, 1911.

' BEN B. SMITH.

Witnesses:

FRANK LOWENTHAL, BEN. C. FULLER. 

